York House History

The York House is Georgia’s oldest Inn, listed on the National Register of Historic places. The Inn was built in 1896, as an addition to a two-story farmhouse. The farmhouse itself dates to 1846 and was constructed from Chestnut logs, then covered with pine plank siding. The logs are unique as American Chestnut trees were killed off in a blight in the 1920s. Chestnut beams and the original dove-tailed log construction can be viewed in the gift shop and former servants’ quarters, now refurbished, on the lower level.

The Inn was purpose-built as housing for railway workers who were helping build the Tallulah Falls railway.

Railroads have long been a part of Rabun County history, and therefore, that of the Yorkhouse.1  The Inn was purpose-built as housing for railway workers who ultimately helped build the railway that ran from Cornelia to Franklin, North Carolina.  Remnants of what could have been a different future for Rabun County are scattered along the back roads and in U.S. National Forest land as Rabun Gap was to be a link for the much grander Blue Ridge Railroad that would connect Charleston, South Carolina to Knoxville, Tennessee.

John C. Calhoun, former vice president and SC senator, was one of the first to propose building the railroad from the coast to the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Railroad companies were chartered in Georgia, SC, NC and TN to construct the railroad.  The Charter for the Georgia Corporation was granted in 1838, but wrangling over the route caused construction delays until the 1850s. 

One proposed route was through Asheville, NC along the French Broad River.  Calhoun, who lived in Clemson, SC, advocated for the Rabun Gap and Little Tennessee River route as less expensive and difficult. Railroads from Charleston to Anderson SC and from Knoxville to Cincinnati were in place by the time the group selected the Rabun County route. Construction started in 1854. 

All of the work on the railroad project was stopped with the outbreak of the Civil War.  After the war, efforts to resurrect the Blue Ridge Railroad failed.  The railroad that did come to Rabun County was the Tallulah Falls Railroad which ran from Cornelia to Franklin, NC.  Construction on the Tallulah Falls project, originally referred to as the Northeastern Railroad, began in 1871. The goal was to build a railroad connecting Athens to the planned Blue Ridge Railroad, using the right-of-way through Clayton.

Tallulah Falls was a popular destination point until about 1913 when the forerunner to Georgia Power constructed a dam, blocking the flow of water.  The York House had a whistle stop on the Tallulah Falls line, running to Franklin.  At the stop, railway workers, borders, and vacationers, were welcomed to the Inn, beginning in 1896.

As the railway project ended (lost funding), the Inn became a vacation spot for visitors from Atlanta and the surrounding areas. It has been in continuous operation since 1896. Several innkeepers, Molly York known as “Little Mama” and her daughter, Fannie, were famous local characters. The Inn is also well-known for its two-story porch which spans the front of the house and provides beautiful views of the valley and surrounding mountains.

The Inn has hosted famous guests, including Walt Disney and Joel Chandler Harris. Also, scenes from the films Deliverance and the Great Locomotive Chase have been filmed here. Come visit us and enjoy our Hemlock forest and all the beauty of North Georgia.